


Being Neighborly

by literaryoblivion



Series: Tumblr Ficlets [72]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Neighbors, Cats, M/M, Neighbors
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-02
Updated: 2014-09-02
Packaged: 2018-02-15 20:14:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,339
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2241945
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/literaryoblivion/pseuds/literaryoblivion
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Stiles comes home to find a cat that is definitely not his chilling on his sofa. Turns out it's his reclusive, often out of town neighbor Derek's.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Being Neighborly

**Author's Note:**

> I received the following prompt on Tumblr: "I stopped watching the show, it just makes me upset now, i love the characters but can't go on with the plot, I just can't, but for the prompt thingy, how about Sterek and "I came home from a long day at work at that cat on the sofa is definitely not my cat how did it get here"? ugh just an idea, go creative with it, anything would do c:"
> 
> The tumblr post for this can be found [here](http://literaryoblivion.tumblr.com/post/92944879693/i-stopped-watching-the-show-it-just-makes-me-upset).

Stiles lives in a rather open apartment complex, and he knows practically all his neighbors. They do little neighborly things like give each other baked goods for holidays, have a BBQ where everyone brings their own meat and his across the pool neighbor Brock is the grill master, have movie nights in the club house or if it’s nice out by the pool with a projector. It’s nice, and he loves it. It’s like he has his own little family away from his real family in Beacon Hills.

It’s especially great because it means he can feel social without having to really try. When he accepted the job in Austin as the computer guru for some upstart company with promise, he knew it’d be long hours and in a completely foreign place where he knew no one. But he was okay with that because that’s what the Internet and cell phones were for, right? But sometimes he gets lonely, and he’s glad that he gets along so well with his neighbors. When he gets in his certain moods where he needs human interaction, he just bugs Brock and they watch a game, or knocks on Cindy’s door down the hall because she loves board games and gets lonely too.

The one neighbor he doesn’t see often is the one that lives right next door to him, though. He’s come to one of the BBQs, but he didn’t eat or stay very long. Just stayed long enough to finish his beer and waved goodbye. Stiles asked Brock about him, but all Brock told him was that his name was Derek Hale and that he moved in a few months before Stiles did. Brock added that he thought Derek had a pretty busy job and traveled a lot because he rarely saw a light on in his window and his parking spot in the garage was rarely filled.

Stiles had never actually met Derek and couldn’t say that he seemed nice from the one distant interaction he’s had with him, but he was definitely attractive. Being his next-door neighbor, Stiles did end up seeing him a little more often than the others, introduced themselves, but not much more. Stiles figured Brock was right, Derek must be some traveling businessman who rarely got to be at home. He hopes Derek doesn’t have some plant dying of thirst in his apartment.

~

When Stiles gets home from a particularly long, exhausting day and strides into his apartment, he almost blames the exhaustion for what he sees when he plops on his couch.

There’s a white and gray fluffy cat curled up in a ball in the corner of his couch.

He rubs his eyes, but no that cat is definitely still there. He scoots closer, and the cat stirs, open eyes staring right at him.

"Uh, who are you? I don’t have a cat," he says to the cat like the cat will reply with his name and address and why he’s visiting.

Stiles cautiously scoots closer, in case the cat is skittish, but it seems to be nothing of the sort because it hops right into Stiles lap and curls up there, it’s head resting on his thigh.

"How did you even get in here?" But then he remembers that last night had been nice and he’d left his windows open, and one of them has a broken screen he’s been meaning to call maintenance about.

He runs his fingers through its fur, scratches behind its ears, and it purrs while he does. He notices a collar, thank god, and turns it around so he can see the name tag. It reads “Athena Hale” with a phone number.

"Nice to meet you Athena," Stiles says, scratching under the collar. Hale…. wait. "You’re Derek’s?!"

As if in answer the cat nuzzles in closer to Stiles and purrs louder than before. “I sure hope he doesn’t just leave you in his apartment for weeks on end.” He gets up, taking Athena with him and holding her in his arms. She meows and hisses a little in protest. “Come on, lets get you back to Derek. As cute as you are, I have nothing here to feed you with.”

The cat resettles in his arms, it’s head pillowed in the crook of his elbow, and Stiles pockets his keys before leaving to go next door. He’s pretty sure he saw Derek’s car in the garage, so he knows he’s home.

He knocks and when Derek finally answers the door, he looks frazzled. His hair is a mess, like he’s been running his hands through it, and the little bit of his apartment he can see looks like a tornado has run through it. He seems a bit red in the face, and his tie is loose around his neck, the first few buttons undone, and his sleeves are rolled up. He looks delectable.

"Looking for something?" Stiles asks, lifting his arms to indicate the ball of fur cradled in them.

"Thank god," Derek says in a rush of breath. "Where was she? How did you find her?"

Stiles grins. “She decided my couch was comfier than yours, I guess. I found her there when I came home. I think I left my window open.”

"Yeah, I did too, which explains how she got out. I thought she was just hiding." He thumbs behind him at the couch that looks very out of place and the cushions on the floor. "Uh, come in. Please. If you want… I mean unless you’re busy, than I can take her off your hands."

"I’ve got time. She’s pretty comfortable where she is it seems."

Derek nods and opens his apartment door wider to let Stiles through. He shuts it and then rushes to the couch to move it where it belongs and place the cushions back on it. “Sorry. Here, take a seat.” Stiles sits and Derek asks, “Do you want anything? To drink? Or Something?”

Stiles shakes his head. “No. I’m good.” Derek disappears into the kitchen, and Stiles calls out, “So, how long have you had her?”

Derek appears again, a water bottle in hand, and sits down on the other end of the couch. “Oh, she’s not mine. She’s my sister’s. I’m just taking care of her while my sister’s away.”

"Oh. That’s nice of you," Stiles says, in his head he sighs in relief that the cat isn’t cooped up in Derek’s apartment.

Derek hums and takes a sip of water. “She seems to like you.”

Stiles lifts a shoulder, “What can I say? I’m a great lay—I mean great to lay on—I mean, that’s not…” Stiles’s eyes are huge and he knows his cheeks are red. “Wow, I’m just gonna go.” He picks the cat up off his lap to rest it on the couch next to him and stands up.

Derek is laughing, and wow, that’s great. He goes straight for the door, but Derek catches his arm when he walks by to stop him. “I’m sorry, but you gotta admit that was funny. You don’t have to go though.”

"No, I really think I should before I embarrass myself more."

"Don’t be embarrassed, it was… kind of cute. I ordered some pizza that should be here soon, and I was going to watch Game of Thrones if you want to stay and eat and watch it with me?"

"You want me to stay?"

Derek’s lips curl up in one corner slightly, “Only if you want. But, I wouldn’t mind if you did.” He stands up in front of Stiles, grins as he leans in a little closer, his hand still on Stiles’s arm. 

"O—Okay. That would be… nice." Right then the doorbell rings, and Derek steps around him to answer it.

He smirks over his shoulder at Stiles before he opens the door and adds, “Good. I don’t want Athena to have all the fun. I think it’s my turn to see how great of a lay you really are.”

**Author's Note:**

> Come say hi on [tumblr](http://literaryoblivion.tumblr.com) or [twitter](http://twitter.com/lit_oblivion).


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